Use of text editors and the like has become quite common in conventional computer applications. One reason for such a broad acceptance of text editors is the convenience afforded by their use. For example, via use of a window-based application such as a text editor, a computer user can open a “window” on a computer screen and modify the contents of a file such as a text-based document. Typically, text editors enable a user to select text in a document and thereafter apply text editing or formatting commands such as bolding, italicizing, underlining, copying, pasting, formatting, etc.
In general, operations can include three steps such as i) Select, ii) Copy, and iii) Paste. A select operation is limited to marking the content for future operation. Copy is a type of future operations that can be applied to a selection. A paste operation works only if you have previously copied content.
As discussed above, one type of command supported by most text editors is a so-called respective cut and paste function. For example, a user can control a computer mouse to select a grouping of text displayed in the text editor. During such an operation, a respective computer system executing the editor application can execute a command to store a copy of the selected text in a buffer. Upon initiation of a paste command by the user, the computer system inserts a copy of the selected text in the buffer to a location in a document as specified by the user.
Most text editors enable a user to select text (e.g., initiate a copy command) in both a forward or reverse direction. For example, using a computer mouse device, a user can place a pointer (such as a cursor) at the beginning of a text string, initiate a start copy command, and scan the pointer towards the right hand side of the screen to the end of a respective text string that is to be copied. While the pointer is located at the end of the text string, the user initiates an end copy command. Clicking of the mouse and scanning from left to right causes the text editor to copy the selected text string into a buffer.
Alternatively, the computer user can scan from a character located at a right side of a display screen and scan towards the left. For example, the user can use the mouse to scan from the end of a sentence to the beginning of the sentence to select respective text for copying in the buffer. In either of the above cases, whether selecting text based on left-to-right or right-to-left scanning motions, the computer to stores the same data associated with the selected text in a temporary storage buffer. Upon initiation of a respective paste command, the computer displays a copy of the sentence in the same order (e.g., from start of the sentence to the end of the sentence or from left to right) no matter which way the computer user selected the original sentence.
Other conventional cut and paste application operate in a similar way. For example, photo editors enable a respective user to select a portion of an image based on: moving a pointer to a first boundary of a selection region, clicking a mouse to start a selection process, scanning the mouse so that the respective pointer moves to a second boundary of the selection region, and clicking the mouse again to end the selection process. A rectangular area formed by a diagonally opposed first boundary and second boundary indicates the selected region to be copied to a temporary buffer.